Skip to main content

From Half a Million Dollar Income to Poverty Level

Share This article

Cynthia Sweeley and her daughter Ariel are co-owners of Wildfire Ranch spiritual retreat, a place where people around the world come to find peace. Their main specialty, horse therapy.

Cynthia says, “When I see people getting healed there’s no words. It’s like ‘this is where I belong. This is who I am. This is my destiny.’ It’s helping one person at a time.

Cynthia and her husband were horse lovers who ran a successful restaurant advertising business. But when the recession hit in 2008, people stopped buying ads.

Cynthia recalls, “It pretty much wiped us completely out from half a million gross income to poverty level in six months. We went into foreclosure. My husband chose that time to divorce. Severe trauma can often break a marriage.”

After they divorced, Cynthia put their home on the market and tried to sell their horses, but nobody was buying.

Cynthia shares, “When all of this happened, I’ll be very honest, my faith plummeted. I felt betrayed by God and I told God so. And I was like, ‘Whatever happens, happens.’ Things got so bad we had to go on welfare, public assistance, medical and food stamps. I was panic stricken and God kept trying to tell me. He would take care of me but that I had to surrender. I kept fighting Him and saying, ‘Just give me the money to pay the bills, and then I’ll trust you.’”

But that money didn’t come and the bills piled up. After three eviction notices, Cynthia finally gave in to God.

Cynthia shares, ‘Okay, you’ve got me. I surrender. I see no hope. I’m so terrified of being homeless, but I’m trusting you. I’m sorry it took me so long. Here I am. I give you everything. ‘And He said, ‘Now you watch what I’m about to do with your life.’”

At that point, she says God gave her an idea to use her unsold horses and offer trail rides. Within 48 hours, her phone began ringing. As her income increased, Cynthia started tithing.

Cynthia says, “And I said, ‘Never again will I be such a fool. I tithe to you joyfully. You alone are the one that gives us all the power to gain wealth.’”

Cynthia got a loan modification to save her home. Within a year, Wildfire Ranch spiritual retreat was born and Cynthia began offering ‘equine therapy’ for people suffering from depression.

Cynthia shares, “When I see other people healing from similar anguish, dark places that I know very well there’s no words. He gave me a business with what I love more than anything in this world. And all because of surrendering.”

Cynthia also became a CBN partner.

Cynthia says, “I love the feature stories and the news. CBN offers what I consider true news, news that you can bank on.”

The following year, Wildfire Ranch saw revenue increase by 50% and business keeps expanding.

Cynthia shares, “I can’t even describe how awesome life is now. I never could have dreamed it would be like this. If we obey Him, just believe and trust, He will give you the secret desires of our hearts.”

Share This article